Hi Alphas,
Welcome to Alphaday 6, Season XVII. We’ve put in a lot of excellent work so far this season and that’s when Christmas comes in handy with a well-deserved break and the opportunity for us to replenish our writerly energies so that we can embark on The New 2021 Year with fresh enthusiasm.
We exit 2020 with the sort of Alpha flourish that proves how resilient our group is to the trials and tribulations that prevent so many other activities from functioning satisfactorily. We’re lucky in that respect.
Today’s agenda is as mouth-watering as ever with an extra seasonal item at the end:
Alphaday 6, Season XVII agenda:
- This bulletin from me
- The results of the scenery challenge from Suzanne
- The collated entries for the tourist attraction interview from Linda
- The brief for Challenge 5 from Morgen
- The Alpha Log compilation from Phil
- Our 8pm (UK time) Alpha Christmas zoom meeting arranged by Ros
There’s plenty there for us to look forward to and it’ll keep us busy over the break while we prepare to continue our season with Alphaday 7 scheduled for the 14/01/2021.
We’ll catch up with all the Alpha news later – partly from the Log and partly from our informal get-together later this evening. I believe there’ll be quite a crowd there!
General news
What can I say? It’s hard to pick something out and call it good news. We’re left to wish all those good people who work hard to solve the various crises a successful outcome of their efforts.
One phrase that caught my attention here in France the other day was this: “Culture is essential nourishment!” Quite right, I agree; culture in its many varied forms is there to prevent mental stagnation. Of course we can read a book and watch TV, but live performances involve audiences on a different level. It also involves the performers both artistically and because that’s how they earn their livelihoods. A country with theatres, music venues and all other live entertainments closed down is deprived of something essential. That’s why they took to the streets.
Indeed some of those actors probably missed their traditional work as Santa Clauses doing the cheerful rounds of various institutions, fairs, commercial centres etc. A professional Santa Claus risks being unemployed not just for eleven, but twelve months of the year. No wonder they turned into insubordinate (Santa) Clauses, fighting for the recognition of culture as essential nourishment for the mind and the heart.
May you enjoy your seasonal festivities. I look forward to seeing you back here in Alpha for a healthy and favourable year 2021.
Christine